As an adult I visited Tokyo and it’s a magical, wonderland of cute & quirkiness & stationery heaven. Today I never thought I’d be designing my own stationery! It’s a dream come true! So little did I know back then that I was researching for my future job!

‘Easter Bunnies’ A5 Notebook by Dreaming on a Star

If you have been following my design career, you may recognise the above bunny print. I designed it a few years ago but I am very fond of it and turned it into a notebook. It’s professionally printed by a third-party printing company and is printed on both sides in brilliant full colour with a smooth finish. I was so delighted to get these professionally printed and I designed the little matching cards that can be used as bookmarks!

‘Carousel Horses’ A5 Notebook by Dreaming on a Star

This pattern is also a few years old. I entered a design competition and came up with a Carousel Horse theme. Have a look here at how I came up with the idea. I made a repeating pattern of the design and always liked the magical quality of it. People seem to like it too as it’s a best-seller for me.

If you would like to see more of Dreaming on a Star’s stationery Click Here. I hope you enjoy World Stationery Day and have lots of pretty things to write on! ♡

Hi everyone. I came across this beautiful Jules Verne quote only a few weeks ago and had to make my own version of it.
It really captures the powerful & spiritual hold the sea has over us. It’s hard to believe this quote is almost 150 years old. But it’s so relevant today to have a connection to nature in an increasingly disconnected world.

“The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. It is nothing but love and emotion; it is the Living Infinite.”

Hi everyone. Dreaming on a Star has a new Etsy Print Shop! I opened this shop last month and have been slowly adding items to it. I am delighted to say I have made 3 sales so far. This shop is a labour of love for me. I put my heart and soul into every piece I design for it.

Hi everyone. Dreaming on a Star has been illustrating lots of words! Song lyrics, lines from poems, phrases, etc. I’m a big fan of song lyrics and poetry. My favourite subject in school was English, so I’ve always had a love for the written word. And I adore typography, so it’s something I enjoy doing.

Illustration by Dreaming on a Star, 2015. Words by Emily Dickinson

Song lyrics are a personal thing. For me, a particular line/phrase seems to burst out of a song and into my brain. I become obsessed with it. The words themselves are musical even without the melody. That’s how I see poetry – like song lyrics without melody, or maybe it should be the other way around – Song lyrics are poetry set to music!

Anyway, the above illustration is a quote from poet Emily Dickinson – “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” The concept of Hope is such a beautiful thing, especially if you’re going through a difficult time. The metaphor of the bird captures these aspirational qualities perfectly. That’s why I drew the word ‘Hope’ in a joyful way and gave it precedence on the page. (Just for fun I gave the birdie a name – Jeremiah Flaphinch!)

Illustration by Dreaming on a Star, 2015. Words by Van Morrison

The above illustration happened after spending time in the sea and overdosing on Van Morrison! This is a line that jumped out at me from the song “Into the Mystic” – ‘Smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly!’ How it captures the freedom and healing qualities of nature!

I love doodling and somehow these abstract doodles seemed to take on more familiar things – the white doodles look like exotic fishes and the top purple doodle looks like a surfboard! Maybe my subconscious mind is actually less abstract than I think!

Illustration by Dreaming on a Star, 2014. Words by The Beatles

I am a big fan of The Beatles and I own most of their back catalogue, but it’s funny how you might miss things. Although when it comes to song lyrics, I think particular lines might resonate with you more depending on your circumstances or it could be you weren’t paying attention.

Anyway I was watching the TV show Mad Men, when ‘Tomorrow Never Knows‘ played at the closing credits. For such an iconic song, I’m surprised I missed this amazing line – ‘Listen to the Colour of Your Dreams’. I love how it captures the trippy experience where your senses get mixed up! Also since my business is called Dreaming on a Star, I love anything related to dreams!Thank you for reading ♡

Instead of including his children & grandchildren, I made it of his parents, his siblings and their children.
Dad is the youngest of 7 (a typical Irish Catholic family of the time!). He lost his Dad when he was 24. His sister died a few years ago and his other sister isn’t very well at the moment.
Unfortunately some of the cousins & in-laws are also no longer with us.
But this isn’t meant to be a sad post!

He was really happy with it. He spent hours looking at it!
I couldn’t believe it really!

I think as you get older, you comprehend what family actually means. The siblings that you climbed trees & shared rooms with are grown up and have families of their own.
You can see the endless cycle of life reaching back behind you and stretching out in front of you.
And you cherish the memories of those people that are no longer there but are all still a part of your family.
It was really lovely to give Dad a gift that meant so much to him. ♡

Hi everyone. Dreaming on a Star has been making pictures! These two awesome pictures look great and you will be surprised how inexpensive they are to make. You just need to do a bit of rummaging in shops and be on the look out for interesting wallpapersand wrapping paper.